Weedless tandem bait-casting hook.



R. L. SHEWARD.

WEEDLESS TANDEM BAIT CASTING HOOK.

Ra sheward, :Jnucutoz,

Q Vi u macs:

, To all whom-it may concern:

,new' and useful Improvements in UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HRALPH 1.. sHEwARD, 0F, ooUNcIL BLUFFS, IOWA. I I

vmsnmiss manna BAIT-OAB'IING noon.

No. 916,707. I

specification or Letters Batent. Application filed m a, 190a. Serial m. 49,217.

Patented March 16, 1909.

Be i known that I, RALPH L. Snnwmn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Council Bluffs, in the county of Pottawattamic and State of Iowa, have invented certain Weedless Tandem Bait Cast-ing Hooks, of Wl'lldh; the following is a specification.

My vention relates to fishing hooks, more particularly to that class known as Weedless tandem bait-castinghooks, and comprisinga leader hook having a weed guard for t a point thereof and a trailer hook provided with a weight having means-for the attachment of a bait thereto.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved ard for the leader hook and an improved orm of weight for the trailer hook whereby the secure attachment of the 'bait thereto is facilitated.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a pers ec'tive new of a hook embodyin my invent1on,Fi% 2 is a plan view of the weig ted trailer hook, ig. 3 1s a side elevation of the same, Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the weight on .the line x s of Fig.- '2, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the leader hook.

.. .In the construction shown I provide a leader hook 1 of ordinary form, to which the trailer hook 2 is flexibly connected b means of a short double-linked chain 3 of w ich one end is connected with the eye of the trailer hook while the other end link is passed over the barb and around onto the main bend of the leader hook. I

The leader hook is provided with a weed guard formed of spring wire as follows: One

- end of the spring wire is attached to the shank 'of the hook near theeye thereof by lashing with fine wire and soldering. Adj omlng the lashin 4 a coil 5 is formed, of which the axis exten s transversely to the shank of the hook. From the coil 5 the wire 6 extends upwardly and rearwardly to a point in front 0 the point of the hook where it is bent laterally and then rearwardly to form' the ortion 9 which extends ast the point of the ook slightl above and same. At t e end of the portion 9 the wire is turned forwardly, formed. into a U-bend 8 which is passed aroundv and slightly above the point of the hook, and then is again turned iorwardl as the portion 7, returned to the u per en of the portion 6 and coiled around t e same. The portions 7 and 9 are arranged symmetrically on each side of the to one side of-the and the remaining end loop of point of the hook, the side portions of the U-bend 8 being parallel with and just below the rearward'p'arts of the portions 7 and 9, and are soldered thereto in order to prevent the same becoming separated and thereb formin a loo whichmight catchon wee s or the ike. he action of the guard in deflectin the hook away from weeds or the like W1 1 be apparent, as also the fact that, the guard not being in actual en agement with the hook point, it may be read y sprung aside or downward so as to expose the point of the hook when pushed suddenly as by the strike of a fish The weight 10 is preferably formed. of some easily fusible metallic alloy, such as a Babbitt or type-metal composition, and is cast upon the straight portion of the shank of the trailer hook 2 atsubstantially the position shown. The general form of the weight is that of half a cylinder out on its.

axis and having rounded tapering ends approximating the form of a segment of a oncular spindle. The shank of the trailer hook passes through the weight slightly below the flat upper surface thereof, substantially parallel with the axis of the cyli'ndical ortion of the same, and said 'flat upper surace is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the main bend of the hook. At

each end of the cylindrical portion of the weight in the rounded lower side-thereof is formed a circumferential or transverse groove 11. In the flat up er surface of the weight are formed the l dn itudinal grooves 12 which extend paralle with and near the edges of the cylindrical portion of the weight between the circumferential or transverse grooves 11, and each of the ends of said grooves 12 is connectedv with one of the grooves 11 by' a short vertically-extending notch 13.

In placin a bait upon the device, the nose portion of t e bait is im aled by the leader ook 1 and the body of t e bait is placed on the flat upper surface of the wei ht 10 and secured thereon by means of an eIastic band 14. A portion of the band is laid in one of the longitudinal grooves 12, each end of the said portion being then passed down through the notches 13 and around the lower side of the weight in the grooves 11. The two sides of the band are then passed up over the bait and around the same and again passed around under the Weight in the rooves 11, the band is weight is suc passed up through the notches 13 at the pposite side of the weight and into the longitudinal groove 12. In Fig. 1 the band is shown in the position assumed thereby just before the final looping of the band into the notches 13 and groove 12.

The tandem hook is es ecially ada ted for use with frogs or similar live bait an when the device is used with bait of this class, the soft body is pressed down'slightly over the sides of the weight thereby efi'ectually preventing the band 14 from becoming detached from the weight. The portions of the band which lie in the grooves 11 are so protected that they will not be easily displaced therefrom, and the tapered ends of the weight cause it, to easily slide over any obstructions which it may encounter, without catching thereon. The two sides of the band 14 which pass over the back of the bait, being held separated by the grooves 11, hold the bait more effectually'and firmly upon the weight than would a single cord or bandpassing over the back of the bait at but one point. The osition of the bait upon the E that it serves as a guard for the point of the hook suflicient to prevent weeds catching thereon. In the use of the hook in casting and trolling the same is handled and operated in the same manner as other books of this class, being drawn through the water slowly or rapidly as desired, the wei ht 10 causing the bait to fall with the bac up and move through the water in natural and life-like osition.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to-secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fishing device of the class de-- scribed, a hook, a weight carried on the shank of the hook, said weight comprising a semicylindrical body having tapered ends, there bein transverse ooves extending around thedo to the ends thereof, there being longitudinally extending grooves in the upper side of the weight adjacent to the edges thereof, there being notches connectin the ends of the longitudinal grooves with the ends of the transverse grooves, and means engaging the Weight in the grooves thereof and adapted to pass over the back of the bait to hold the same upon the Weight.

2. In a fishing device of the class described, a hook, a weight carried on the shank of the hook, said weight comprising a semicylindrical body with tapered ends and a fiat upper surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the main bend of the hook, there bein transverse rooves extending around the ower side of t .e weight near the ends thereof and lon itudinally extending grooves in the u per side of the weight near the sides thereo the adjoining ends of the grooves being connected with each other, and an endless elastic band for securing a bait upon the weight, said elastic band having portions thereof disposed each of the longitudinal grooves and passing therefrom around the lower side of the weight in the transverse grooves, and portions; adapted to extend up over the weight and bait in two loops vertically alined with the transverse grooves.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

RALPH L. SHEWARD.

Witnesses:

D. O. BARNELL, Rev G. KRATZ.

wer side of t 0 weight adjacent 

